Domain
Home • Fertility • Protection • Joy
Symbols
The Cat • The Sistrum • The Udjat
Cult place
Bubastis
Offerings
Catnip, perfume jars, fish, alabaster
Other names
Pakhet, Ubastet
Titles
The "Lady of the East", the "Goddess of the Rising Sun", the "Devouring Lady", "She Who Scratches"
Name meaning
Perfume jar
The Cat
The goddess Bastet, also known as Bast, Boubastis, Pasht, Ubasti or Ba en Astet, was the revered patron deity of Per-Bast. She was symbolised by the cat, the sistrum and the Udjat (The Eye).
She presided over fire, cats, sensual pleasure, the moon, dance, the household, health, and pregnant women. Known as the 'Lady of the East', she stood in contrast to her sister Sekhmet, the fearsome 'Lady of the West'.
Bastet was usually depicted as a slender woman with the head of a domestic cat. As the daughter of the sun god Ra, she fought alongside him against Apep, the primordial enemy of light. Her frequent depiction holding a sistrum, a popular musical instrument, highlights her role as a goddess of music and dance.
As Ra’s daughter, Bastet was closely associated with the Udjat, the divine all-seeing force also referred to as the All-Seeing Eyes of Bast. She embodied the archetype of the Distant Goddess: a deity who leaves Ra, only to return transformed and bring renewal and change.
Bastet was uniquely a fire goddess associated with the moon. Her fierce, protective nature was linked to flame, while her gentle, nurturing aspect was tied to lunar energy.
In Egyptian art, she is often depicted holding a scarab, an ankh and a sistrum - symbols of rebirth, life and celebration.
Her principal cult centre was Bubastis (Per-Bast) in the eastern Nile Delta, and April and May were dedicated to her.
Bastet’s temples housed secluded cat cemeteries, where priests offered mummification and burial services. These rites ensured that the souls of beloved cats could join Bastet in the spiritual realm. Mau cats were particularly sacred to her, and she is often depicted in this form, striking down Apep with her paw. This deep reverence meant that cats were held in very high regard in Egypt, and cat amulets and kittens were common gifts that were always received with gratitude.
Egyptian households often kept small statues of Bastet, cats or her utchat (all-seeing eye) to protect pregnant women and promote health and wellbeing, as Bastet was revered as a powerful healer.
The rituals performed in her temples, intended to promote healing and fertility, were famously sensual, filled with music, dance and ecstatic celebration.
The cult of Bastet flourished from around 2100 BC and endured until the era of Cleopatra VII in the 1st century AD, establishing her as one of Egypt's most enduring and beloved deities.
Mother of the gods, the great, the loved one,
Winged and mighty, unto thee we call,
Naming thee the Comforter, the Ruler,
Bast, beloved, Mother of us all.
Some interesting facts
Her other solar name was "Lady of Flame."
During the Middle Kingdom of Egypt - the period of reunification between 2055 BCE and 1650 BCE - Bast was often depicted holding a basket or a rattle.
Harming or killing a cat was considered a grave offense and a powerful bad omen.
Cats were likely regarded as sacred because they protected crops and warehouses from vermin and mice.
Both Bastet and Sekhmet were seen as consorts of Ptah. However, Anubis - the jackal‑headed god associated with mummification and protection of the dead - was also described as a consort of Bastet. Maahes, a lion‑headed god of war, and Khonsu, the youthful god of the moon, were believed to be her sons.
The Greeks called Bastet "Ailuros" - meaning feline.
She is the only feline goddess consistently portrayed as a domestic cat rather than a lioness.